Clock's Ticking

Suits and Crowns

Once we arrive at their little sanctuary, it doesn't take long for the Lokis to settle in and relax. Listening to soft music and drinking wines seems to be the preferred way to relax for all Lokis. Even Croki, who is having his drink poured into his mouth by the older Loki. We are all listening to the boastful Loki tell us his nexus event story. "So, after I vanquished Captain America and Iron Man, I claim my prize, all six Infinity Stones."

I shake my head and I'm sure I have a look of disbelief and confusion on my face. By Croki is the first to say anything. Well, not say anything, but growl at the very least. The older Loki takes the task of translating, "that's alligator for growling and saying 'liar' at the same time."

"Well, at least my nexus event wasn't eating the wrong neighbour's cat."

Croki snarls and snaps at the boastful Loki before charging at him, latching onto his arm. Thankfully, we manage to separate them before anyone loses any limbs and we all settle back down, before child Loki gestures to older Loki with his juice box, "tell them your story, Loki."

"Me?" He holds back a scoff, "nobody wants to hear about that."

I lean forward a bit and lift a hand, "I would, actually. Um... it's just I've been wondering, because I'm..." I gesture back to myself, "well, we're supposed to die, right? Thanos kills us after Ragnork."

"Thanos?" The older Loki leans forward and places his cup on the stand next to him, "in my timeline, everything proceeded correctly, my entire life, until Thanos attacked our ship."

"So, you didn't try to stab him?"

Old Loki chuckles, "certainly not. Take no offense, my friends, but blades are worthless in the face of a Loki's sorcery. They stunt our magical potential."

"But they look awesome," boastful Loki smirks.

"Oh, yes. Especially when they clatter to the ground just before your neck is snapped. I cast a projection of myself so real, even the Mad Titan believed it. Then hid as inanimate debris. After I faked my death, I simply drifted in space. Away from Thor; away from everything. Thought about the universe and my place in it, and it occurred to me that everywhere I went, only pain followed. So I removed myself from the equation, landed on a remote planet and stayed there in isolation, in solitude for a long, long time."

I look down to my nails for a moment, "how did the TVA find you?"

"I got lonely," older Loki chuckles, "to tell you the truth, I missed my brother, and I wondered if he missed me, if anybody else did. But as soon as I took my first steps to getting off the planet, the TVA arrived. Because we, my friends, have but one part to play, the God of Outcasts. Nothing more." He lifts his cup, "the God of Outcasts." The other Lokis lift their cups before drinking.

I place my cup down on a table near the couch I'm sitting on, "I'm going."

"Going where?"

As I stand, so do the other Lokis, "out of this place, out of The Void, back to the TVA. We're good at surviving, we're also good at escaping. I wager that gives me as good a chance as any."

"You won't do either, you'll be brutally murdered."

"Well, so be it. That was my destiny to begin with."

"You're different," child Loki hasn't even moved from his seat, "why?"

"No, I'm not, you see? I'm the same, really, I'm the same as all of you. Have any of you met a woman Variant of us?

"Sounds terrifying," older Loki cringes a bit.

"Oh, she is, but that's what's great about her. She's different. She's not trying to take over the TVA, she's trying to take it down. And right now she is with the most amazing woman, she's sweet and firey, and honestly, until pretty much right before I got pruned I thought she hated me, but she needs me. Now you said," I point to child Loki before pointing up, "Alioth is what keeps us here. You said," I point to older Loki, "it's a living thing. You said it's a shark. Well, if it lives, it dies. So I'm gonna kill the shark. I'm gonna kill Alioth, so I could use all the help I can get." I hold my arms out, hoping the others will be moved, but they just start to laugh. I shake my head and retreat to the ladder, muttering under my breath, "monsters."

When I open the hatch the last thing I expect to see is myself looking down on me. But that is exactly what I'm faced with, this other me being in a suit, with a horned helmet, much like Sylvie's, and is surrounded by others, who I can only assume are other Lokis. The Loki wearing the suit leans over a bit, "ah, hello, which one of us are you?"

I sigh softly, "is this a nightmare?"